


Homecoming

by lostcrusades



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Episode: S1E1 Encounter at Farpoint, F/M, Fluff, Intimacy, Reunion, Trans Character, Trans Will Riker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-22 23:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16607162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostcrusades/pseuds/lostcrusades
Summary: Will finds a familiar face on board the Enterprise. They haven't seen each other in years, but it feels just like yesterday.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my first time writing for star trek (and first time writing for a new fandom in over 3 years), so please be gentle! 
> 
> my star trek sideblog tumblr is @commanderlaforge!
> 
> disclaimer: this is just for fun, i don't own star trek or the characters, yadda yadda yadda.

Shock. It's is the first thing Deanna registers coming from him. There’s a little bit of shame in there too, and a hint of joy.    
  
Just a hint.    
  
Will is just as she remembers him, tall, babyfaced, with his hair short and neat. There are a few subtle differences, though. His shoulders are a lot wider than she remembers, and he's standing with a confidence she had only seen in private previously.    
  
Her emotions are running just as wild as his are, but she keeps a straight face.    
  
_ Do you remember what I taught you, Imzadi? Can you still sense my thoughts?   _ __  
  
Her words echo through his mind. All of his thoughts seem to have ceased, his sole focus on the sound of her voice filling his head. He steels his expression as well.    
  
Deanna barely registers the captain standing to the side, staring at them awkwardly. It takes a moment for her to realize what had been said, and she nods minutely.    
  
"A pleasure, commander," she says, her eyes glued on him.   
  
"Likewise, counselor," Will says, mirroring her expression.   
  
Deanna's eyebrows nearly shoot up at that. His voice is a lot deeper, too. Much deeper than the voice she had fallen asleep listening to years ago.    
  
The two of them distantly recognize that the captain is talking to them as they head down the turbolift, but they're focused on each other.

* * *

 

Farpoint proved to be a lot more complicated of a mission than they had expected, and Deanna and Will had yet to get each other alone. Deanna could tell how much he was dying to talk to her. There was weight in every look he gave her. She stared back with just as much meaning.    
  
The Enterprise had just left Farpoint now that their mission was done, and Deanna finally found some free time. Knowing it was late and Will was bound to be in his quarters, as Data had the bridge, she set off.    
  
The lights in the hallway had been dimmed to give the impression of nighttime. Her soft footsteps echoed through the halls as she walked.    
  
Once she reached his quarters, she paused. A deep breath. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked quietly, not wanting to wake him in case he was asleep.    
  
A few seconds of silence passed until she heard his voice.    
  
"Come in."

She walks in to see Will sitting at his desk, staring at a PADD and scrolling through a list of some sort. She scowls.

“You should be asleep, it's late.”

His head snaps up at the sound of her voice. “Oh! Hello, Deanna.” 

She nods and looks at him expectantly. He holds her gaze for a moment before sighing and tossing the PADD onto his desk. 

“You're right. I just want to make a good impression on the captain by staying ahead of my work,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Deanna walks over and takes a seat on his bed. He turns around in his chair to face her. 

“You've made a good enough impression already. I think you've earned the sleep,” she says. 

Will sighs and leans back in his chair. He contemplates for a moment, then stands up and heads to the other end of the room. Deanna smirks and watches him. Despite the slightly tense atmosphere between the two of them, Will’s mind feels like home. She feels comfortable around him, and finds him easier to connect with than most people, in many senses of the word. 

The dark fabric of his binder stands out against his skin as he begins to strip out of his uniform. Even after however many years, his modesty around her has remained unchanged. A feeling, mainly of amusement, and a little bit of sadness, fills her chest and she knows Will can feel it too. He stands there in front of the mirror, in only his binder and boxers. He looks over to Deanna, and mirrors her grin. 

She stands up from where she was sitting on the bed and walks over to him. She wraps an arm around his waist and meets his gaze in the mirror. He’s staring at her, eyes gentle, with a soft smile on his face. 

The intimacy comes naturally to them both, and a sense of comfort washes over Will, which carries over to Deanna as well. 

_ I've missed you, Imzadi.  _

The words bounce around in Deanna’s mind and she shakes her head. 

_ Let’s not talk about that now. There's plenty of time for that later.  _

Will makes a soft hum in the back of his throat and places a hand over the one that's resting on his hip. They stay like that for a moment before Deanna tilts her head and brings her other hand up, placing it on his chest. 

“I'm surprised you still have this thing. Figured you would have gotten rid of it by now,” she says quietly, and Will laughs. 

“Haven't gotten around to it. Been busy, y’know? I'll get to it, in time. It’s hard to get proper time off on a starship,” he says. 

She hums in agreement and brings her hand down to wrap around him again. They stay like that a moment, looking at each other in the mirror, before he turns around in her grasp. 

He looks down at her and brings a hand up to brush her hair back. 

“You, on the other hand, look as gorgeous as the last time we saw each other. Your hair looks a little shorter, though,” he says, and Deanna grins. 

“I cut it a few months ago. I wanted a change of pace. My mother was not a huge fan, but she's come around,” she says. 

Deanna nearly laughs at the internal cringe Will makes at the mention of her mother, but he holds his tongue and simply rolls his eyes in response. 

“Well I think you look stunning,” he says, running a hand through her hair. He cups a hand around her jaw and rubs her cheek softly with his thumb. She feels a sense of warmth in her chest and smiles up at him. 

That sense of warmth flows between the two of them freely, and Will leans down to press his forehead against hers. They stay like that for a few moments, and Deanna softly runs her hands up and down Will’s waist, his hands holding her face softly. 

_ How about tomorrow night you and I meet for dinner in Ten Forward? _

A pleasant hum comes from Will and even though their eyes are closed, she can tell he's smiling. 

_ That sounds wonderful.  _

Deanna pulls away then, squeezing one of Will’s hands before heading for the door. 

“Goodnight, Will.”

“Goodnight, Deanna. See you tomorrow.”

Will’s happiness fills up Deanna’s chest, and she smiles to herself as she makes the way back to her own quarters. There's a lot the two of them need to talk about, but she’s confident things will turn out alright. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated <3


End file.
